Chicago Marathon 2023: World record and four course records - what made the Chicago course so fast
A world record and four course records were set in Chicago on Sunday (8 October). Find out which marathoners took advantage of the fast course, and the extra motivation that helped them get there.
Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum broke the men’s world marathon record at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday (8 October). He ran the course in 2:00:35, easily breaking Eliud Kipchoge’s mark of 2:01:09. His win was the biggest record of the day, of course, but Kiptum wasn’t the only marathoner to benefit from the fast course in Chicago.
Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands won the women’s division in a time of 2:13:44, breaking Brigid Kosgei’s 2:14:04 course record.
Marcel Hug and Catherine DeBrunner, both from Switzerland, broke course records for the wheelchair division.
USA's Conner Mantz and Clayton Young were able to hit Olympic standards with their runs, with Mantz running 2:07:47 and Young running a flat 2:08. Two-time Olympian Desiree Linden broke Deena Kastor’s masters women’s record with a finish of 2:27:35.
Near-perfect marathon weather conditions helped. The temperature hovered between nine and 10 degrees Celsius, with little wind and a mostly cloudy sky.
Chicagoans lined the course throughout, cheering and holding up signs. Chicago is also the flattest of the marathon majors, with an elevation gain of just 74 meters.
Besides the flat terrain, loud fans and cool, calm weather, Chicago gives another incentive to record setters. Kiptum, Hassan, Hug and DeBrunner all won a $50,000 bonus for setting a course record.
Before the race, Kiptum was adamant that his goal was to break the course record, held by Kenyan legend Dennis Kimetto. Afterwards, he held to that.
“My main objective was to win the course record. I was not thinking about (the world record),” he said.
Kiptum made the run look easy. After 32km, he shed his pacers and Daniel Kibet Kateiko of Kenya, his closest competition.
Keeping an easy gait, Kiptum wound his way through Chicago’s neighborhoods, and sped up in the final kilometres. He easily took water, and yelled out to his coach at times, asking for his splits.
